Semi-cantilever twin-seat chair

ABSTRACT

An elongated seat frame has flanges at one end for attachment to a vehicle wall and a pedestal supporting the mid-portion of the seat upon the vehicle floor whereby the aisle seat portion is freely spaced above the floor, twin cushions being supported by the seat frame and by individual backs carried by the frame.

United States Patent 1191 1111 3,870,363

Barecki Mar. 11, 1975 I [54] SEMl-CANTILEVER TWIN-SEAT CHAIR 1,281,733 10/1918 Kohler 297/97 l,637,8 6 8 927 Ad' 2 8 158 [751 inventor: h Band, Gram! Raplds' 2,630,158 3/1953 Dav i: 297/445 x Mlch- 2,748,835 6/1956 Barecki 296/65 R 3,185,525 5/1965 Welsh 297/379 X [73] Assgnee' Q Q K Q S Cmpany Grand 3,294,437 12/1966 Belsky 296/65 R 3,323,835 6/1967 Barecki 297/445 [22] Filed; May 4, 1973 3,329,463 7/1967 Zimmermann, 297/243 [2]] Appl 357397 Primary Examiner-Francis K. Zugel Related U.S. Application Data Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Dawson, Tilton. Fallon & [63] Continuation of Ser. No. 149,729, June 3, 197], Lungmus abandoned.

[57] ABSTRACT 12%] 297/231597933 An elongated Seat frame has flanges at one end for 452 tachment to a vehicle wall and a pedestal supporting 1 le 0 4 2 g the mid-portion of the seat upon the vehicle floor whereby the aisle seat portion is freely spaced above the floor, twin cushions being supported by the seat [56] uNlTE g g x r gs gzqrENTs frame and by individual backs carried by the frame.

474,666 5/1892 Krehbiel 297/104 6 Claims 3 Drawing Figures PATENTEDHARI H915 3.870.363

SHEET 1 0F 2 INVENTOR Chester J. Bclrecki H612 v I g ww m am hww Q I 9 ATTORNEYS PATENTEBHARI 1197s INVENTOR Chester J. Borecki I i @WJM $311 ATTORNEYS;

1 SEMI-CANTILEVER TWIN-SEAT CHAIR This is a continuation of application Ser. No. 149,729, filed June 3, 1971 now abandoned;

BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY There has been a need for many years to provide a vehicle chair which will be firmly supported within the vehicle while leaving the area below the seat largely open and free of obstructions, thus facilitating cleaning, giving more leg and article room, etc.

I have discovered that a chair meeting such need can be provided by anchoring an end portion of the seat frame to the vehicle wall while supporting the middle portion of the seat frame upon a pedestal anchored to the floor. The seat frame is provided with separate backs which receive individual back cushions, and seat cushions are supported upon the seat frame between the wall and the side arm. The widely-spaced flanges at the end of the seat frame which are anchored to the wall prevent any tendency of the seat frame to rotate or yield about the central pedestal.

DRAWINGS In the accompanying drawings,

FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of a two-place or twin-seat grouping providing individual chairs;

FIG. 2, a rear perspective view of the structure shown in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3, a front perspective view of the tubular frame, showing a common lower seat frame for the seat cushions, individual back tubes for the back cushions, a central pedestal support, and the spaced wall mounting brackets.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION In general, the new chair structure comprises an elongated tubular seat frame including front and rear stretcher tubes and integral aisle and side frame members. The wall frame member is provided with spaced brackets to attach the rectangular seat frame to a vehicle wall. A central cross beam structure with two laterally-spaced cross beams, preferably having a rectilinear cross section extend fore and aft to provide a central support and to add rigidity to the rectangular, closed seat frame. A pedestal supports the cross beam structure, and it includes a base anchored to the floor of the vehicle. The seat frame has end portions formed continuously with the side frame members and front stretcher tube which extend upwardly from the rear of the side frame members, then toward the center and then downwardly to provide twin back supports for attaching panel-equipped back cushions.

Referring to the drawings, the two-passenger transit chair has individual seat cushions l1 and 12, back cushions l3 and 14, rigid back panels and 16, and hand-grip tubes 17 and 18.

On the aisle side, a plastic closure panel 19 conceals the end of the seat frame 20 under the aisle seat cushion 12. It is held in place by the use of pop rivets which attach to a small L-shaped support tube 21 which is itself attached to the seat tube 20 and the aisle side back tube 24 by welding or other suitable means, as shown best in FIG. 3.

The tubular seat frame 20, as best illustrated in FIG. 3, preferably has a single tube formed to provide a front stretcher tube 20a, an aisle side frame member 20b,

and a wall side frame member 200. The tube is then formedupwardly and toward the center and thence downwardly to provide chair back supports 23 and 24, the lower ends of which are welded to the center of a rear stretcher tube 20f. The front and rear stretcher tubes 20a and 20f, together with the aisle and wall side frame members 20b and 200 comprise a rectangular tubular seat frame portion.

The tubular seat frame 20 is supported by a pedestal 22 positioned under the center of the rectangular seat frame. The entire tubular frame 20 with its back support tubes 23 and 24is preferably made of round tubing except for the two center cross tubes 25 which are square or rectangular in cross section and which extend in a fore and aft direction. The forward and rear ends of these cross tubes 25 are welded respectively to the approximate mid-sections of the front and rear stretcher tubes 20a and 20f to provide a rigid reinforcing cross beam structure for the center of'the seat frame directly over the pedestal. A double plate 26 is attached to the lower edge of the square tubes 25 by welding or other means and provides a mounting plate for the pedestal 22.

The mounting plates 27, which are spaced well apart at the wall end of the seat, anchor the seat firmly against any rotary stress against the outer or aisle side of the seat frame.

The backs l3 and 14 and their back panels 15 and 16 are attached to the back support tubes 23 and 24 by the back clips or flanges 28, as illustrated in FIG. 3, a screw being extended through each back clip into the back panels carrying the back cushions.

The pedestal is provided at its bottom with a wide flange which is attached to the vehicle floor with concealed fasteners (not shown), the wide flange being concealed by the outer shell of the pedestal base.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that the entire seat frame has a free and open space between it and the floor except for the single pedestal engaging its central area. Thus, cleaning can be accomplished readily and there is little obstruction throughout the vehicle, affording considerable leg room and vehicle storage space. At the same time, the sturdy support is provided through the combination of the spaced side flanges with the centrally-located pedestal.

While in the foregoing specification I have set out a specific structure in considerable detail for the purpose of illustrating an embodiment of the invention, it will be understood that such details may be varied widely by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of my invention.

I claim:

1. A semi-cantilever multiple passenger transit chair comprising: a tubular frame including a one-piece tubular member forming a front stretcher tube, aisle and wall side frame members extending rearwardly of said front stretcher tube at the ends thereof, said tube being thence formed upwardly from the rear of said aisle and wall side frame members respectiyely and thence toward the longitudinal center of said chair and thence downwardly to provide separate back cushion support frames, said frame further including a rear stretcher tube generally parallel to said front stretcher tube and extending between the rear portions of said aisle and wall side frame members, the lower center portions of said back cushion support frames being connected to the approximate midpoint of said rear stretcher tube;

a rigid reinforcing cross beam structure including first and second tubular cross beam members connected at their forward and rear ends respectively to the approximate midpoints of said forward and rear stretcher tubes; a single pedestal located beneath said cross beam structure and cooperating with said wall to support said chair, said pedestal including only one upright column attached to said reinforcing cross beam structure and a base mounted to the floor of said vehicle; means for securing said wall side frame member to an upright wall of a vehicle; and cushion means on said frame providing seats and backs for two passengers side by side, said cushion means providing said backs each including rigid back panel means rigidly secured to an associated back cushion support frame.

2. The structure of claim 1 wherein said pedestal is mounted at the approximate transverse and longitudinal center of the seat portion of said frame and wherein said mounting means includes first and second flanges spaced respectively forwardly and rearwardly of said center pedestal.

3. The structure of claim 1 wherein said cross beam members each have a square cross sectional shape.

4. The structure of claim 1 further comprising a raised L-shaped support tube extending between the forward portion of said aisle side frame member and the lower portion of the corresponding back cushion frame support, said cushions including seat cushions resting upon said frame between the wall of the vehicle and said L-shaped support tube.

5. The structure of claim 4 further comprising a plastic closure panel enclosing said L-shaped support tube.

6. The structure of claim 1 wherein said one-piece tubular member extends above the top of associated back cushions in the back cushion support frames to provide a grab rail for a passenger behind the chair. 

1. A semi-cantilever multiple passenger transit chair comprising: a tubular frame including a one-piece tubular member forming a front stretcher tube, aisle and wall side frame members extending rearwardly of said front stretcher tube at the ends thereof, said tube being thence formed upwardly from the rear of said aisle and wall side frame members respectively and thence toward the longitudinal center of said chair and thence downwardly to provide separate back cushion support frames, said frame further including a rear stretcher tube generally parallel to said front stretcher tube and extending between the rear portions of said aisle and wall side frame members, the lower center portions of said back cushion support frames being connected to the approximate midpoint of said rear stretcher tube; a rigid reinforcing cross beam structure including first and second tubular cross beam members connected at their forward and rear ends respectively to the approximate midpoints of said forward and rear stretcher tubes; a single pedestal located beneath said cross beam structure and cooperating with said wall to support said chair, said pedestal including only one upright column attached to said reiNforcing cross beam structure and a base mounted to the floor of said vehicle; means for securing said wall side frame member to an upright wall of a vehicle; and cushion means on said frame providing seats and backs for two passengers side by side, said cushion means providing said backs each including rigid back panel means rigidly secured to an associated back cushion support frame.
 1. A semi-cantilever multiple passenger transit chair comprising: a tubular frame including a one-piece tubular member forming a front stretcher tube, aisle and wall side frame members extending rearwardly of said front stretcher tube at the ends thereof, said tube being thence formed upwardly from the rear of said aisle and wall side frame members respectively and thence toward the longitudinal center of said chair and thence downwardly to provide separate back cushion support frames, said frame further including a rear stretcher tube generally parallel to said front stretcher tube and extending between the rear portions of said aisle and wall side frame members, the lower center portions of said back cushion support frames being connected to the approximate midpoint of said rear stretcher tube; a rigid reinforcing cross beam structure including first and second tubular cross beam members connected at their forward and rear ends respectively to the approximate midpoints of said forward and rear stretcher tubes; a single pedestal located beneath said cross beam structure and cooperating with said wall to support said chair, said pedestal including only one upright column attached to said reiNforcing cross beam structure and a base mounted to the floor of said vehicle; means for securing said wall side frame member to an upright wall of a vehicle; and cushion means on said frame providing seats and backs for two passengers side by side, said cushion means providing said backs each including rigid back panel means rigidly secured to an associated back cushion support frame.
 2. The structure of claim 1 wherein said pedestal is mounted at the approximate transverse and longitudinal center of the seat portion of said frame and wherein said mounting means includes first and second flanges spaced respectively forwardly and rearwardly of said center pedestal.
 3. The structure of claim 1 wherein said cross beam members each have a square cross sectional shape.
 4. The structure of claim 1 further comprising a raised L-shaped support tube extending between the forward portion of said aisle side frame member and the lower portion of the corresponding back cushion frame support, said cushions including seat cushions resting upon said frame between the wall of the vehicle and said L-shaped support tube.
 5. The structure of claim 4 further comprising a plastic closure panel enclosing said L-shaped support tube. 